Amazon is aiming to take on SpaceX’s Starlink internet service using thousands of its own Project Kuiper satellites in low-Earth orbit.
The first Project Kuiper satellites were suppsoed to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on April 9, but rough weather conditions forced the mission team to scrub the planned liftoff.
Since then, it’s all gone a bit quiet, and it’s not clear when the rocket carrying the satellites will be firing up its engines to head skyward.
A couple of news reports in recent days have suggested that the inaugural launch of Amazon’s Project Kuiper has been rescheduled for Monday, April 14 at 7 p.m. ET, but ULA has yet to confirm this on its website and social media channels.
So, for now, those following developments should simply sit tight and wait for an official update from ULA.
Digital Trends has reached out to the spaceflight company for more information and we will update here when we hear back.
Similar to SpaceX’s Starlink service, Project Kuiper will use thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide fast, reliable internet to customers globally, including those in unserved and underserved communities.
The first deployment, which we can expect to take place if not on Monday then in the next couple of weeks, will send the first batch of 27 Project Kuiper satellites to orbit.
While 27 is the maximum number of Project Kuiper satellites that ULA’s Atlas V rocket can carry in a single mission, its other rocket, the newer Vulcan vehicle, is able to carry up to 45 Amazon satellites in one flight. Blue Origin’s newest rocket, the New Glenn, will also be used for Project Kuiper satellite deployments, giving Amazon several options for building out its constellation.
Project Kuiper is aiming to complete its constellation of more than 3,200 satellites by 2029, enabling global broadband coverage that will allow it to properly challenge Starlink. However, Starlink’s larger fleet and technological head start may well help SpaceX to retain a competitive advantage over Amazon’s Project Kuiper at least into the early 2030s.